The Chinese are losing patience with Iran’s refusal to assuage Western concerns regarding the Iranian nuclear weapons program.

Those following the Chinese media during the recent visit of Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may have noticed a slight change in China’s tone toward
Iran, indicating that the Chinese, while still interested in cooperating with
Iran on a range of issues, are starting to lose patience with Iran’s refusal to
assuage Western concerns regarding the Iranian nuclear weapons
program.

Ahmadinejad visited Beijing on June 6-7 at the invitation of his
counterpart, Chinese President Hu Jintao, to attend the annual economic summit
of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a body that is China’s attempt
to balance US and western influence in Asia. China is Iran’s main trading
partner, a key investor in Iranian economy, and continues to be a major buyer of
Iranian oil, recent import cuts notwithstanding. China has also been
instrumental in watering down the UN sanctions leveled against
Iran.

While Iran only has observer status at the SCO, China was conscious
of the global attention on Ahmadinejad’s visit, especially in view of the
stumbling talks around Iran’s nuclear program. After two recent rounds of talks
between Tehran and world powers and ahead of another round in Moscow, the sides
are nowhere close to reaching an agreement. Even though Iran’s willingness to
enter the talks stems from the biting economic sanctions, Iran seems to bet the
differences between the world powers, the prospect of rising oil prices, and the
support for Iran from China and Russia would cause the West to bend
eventually.

Still, China understands (though it may not say so
explicitly) that the Iranian nuclear program includes a military component and
is aimed at extending its regional influence. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
reiterated to the visiting Iranian president China’s opposition to any Middle
Eastern country seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, and it was clear Wen meant
Iran. Even more significant was Hu Jintao’s message to Ahmadinejad during the
official meeting.

While reiterating China’s long-standing position that
differences over Iran’s nuclear program should be solved by peaceful means and
negotiations, Hu urged Iran to show “flexibility and pragmatism” during the
talks. Also significant was Hu using the expression shenshi duoshi, which means
“judge the hour and size up the situation,” indicating China is pressing Iran to
yield and believes Iran must seize upon the chance given it during the talks. Hu
further stated that Iran should “have serious talks with all six related
nations, and enhance dialogues and cooperation with the International Atomic
Energy Agency.”

There were further signs that China is aware of Western
concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. While Ahmadinejad’s visit resembled a
state visit (including a red carpet, honor guard review) and he met with the top
three Chinese leaders, China’s foreign ministry didn’t define it as a state
visit. This was his third visit to China, and all three were a part of some
international activity and not an official state visit.

Media coverage
was also relatively low key – for example, People’s Daily, the official
mouthpiece of the Communist Party, didn’t run its own article on the visit and
simply used the Xinhua News Agency copy. Another example is the fact that
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi remained in Beijing for talks with his
Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi, which was not covered at all by the Chinese
media.

The protocol-conscious Chinese didn’t offer Ahmadinejad the
opportunity to hold a press conference while in Beijing, and while he talked to
students at Peking University, he read from a prepared statement, was not
allowed to take questions, and didn’t mention his country’s nuclear program. As
Yin Gang, a prominent Chinese Middle East expert put it, for someone as
“outspoken” as Ahmadinejad, his speech at Peking University was the “most
restrained ever, and he is someone who doesn’t need to use a prepared
statement.”

In a nod to Western concerns, the Chinese hosts didn’t
discuss (at least openly) energy cooperation with Iran during the visit. Still,
China isn’t willing to give up its cooperation with Iran completely. Hu told
Ahmadinejad that China and Iran should “maintain contacts and coordination on
major international and regional issues so as to preserve regional peace and
stability, and enable common development.” This goes slightly further than Hu’s
suggestion in 2008 that “both sides should also strengthen international
cooperation and work together to maintain regional and global peace and
stability,” and shows China’s recognition of Iran’s importance to issues like
the uprising in Syria.

The relatively toned-down visit and the
acknowledgement of Western sensitivities when it comes to Ahmadinejad, combined
with China’s desire to continue working with Iran, exemplifies China’s position
that it doesn’t want to be dragged into the “zero-sum game” between Iran and the
US. Still, China understands that any conflagration in the Middle East as
a result of the Iranian push for nuclear weapons is bound to hurt China’s
interests as well. The carefully chosen language used by Chinese President Hu in
his meeting with Ahmadinejad attests to that.

The author is Director for
China Affairs at The Israel Project, an international organization that provides
fact-based information about Israel to the press, policymakers and public.

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